BlogWorld Unveils New Name

Big news came at the end of Day Two at BlogWorld New York today. At the keynote session, BlogWorld founders Rick Calvert and Dave Cynkin announced the new name for the conference. Going forward, the event will no longer be called BlogWorld & New Media Expo. Instead, it will be New Media Expo (NMX).

The reason for the change? Simply put, the name better represents the entire industry and community of bloggers, podcasters, and Web TV producers and is inclusive of all online content creators. “When we started BlogWorld in 2006 the new media industry hadn’t really formed yet,” says Rick. “Changing the name from BlogWorld to New Media Expo was always the plan, but the timing wasn’t right until now. The industry has clearly defined itself and the name ‘BlogWorld’ no longer represents everything our industry event embodies, which is blogging, podcasting, and Web TV.”

From the beginning, BlogWorld’s goal was to bring all new media content creators together at one comprehensive industry event, Rick told attendees prior to Chris Brogan’s keynote speech began in New York. ““We are, and always will be, married to the mission of the show, not the name.”

For those of you in our community who are designers, the name change brings with it a really cool opportunity. We want you to be involved as we evolve. The logo you see in the photo above is just a placeholder. We want YOU to submit designs for what our new NMX logo will look like! We’ll narrow down the submissions and then have our community vote on which one they like best.

You get cash and prizes if you’re the winner.

Here’s the dealio:

The chosen winner of the logo competition will receive:

$5,000 cash money (Or U.S. savings bonds if you prefer. We strongly suggest you take the cash.)

A LIFETIME PASS to New Media Expo

An all-expenses paid trip to NMX Las Vegas in January 2013 (including airfare and hotel)

And, he or she will be recognized on stage at NMX as the creator of the new NMX logo.

Pretty nifty, eh?

We’ll be telling you more about how to get involved soon, so stay tuned.

So, welcome to the next chapter of the new media revolution. NMX is here and we will continue to serve our community of podcasters, bloggers, and Web TV producers now and long into the future. We’re glad you’re here with us for the journey.

@WordsDoneWrite @FerrisStith
Coolio. Our CEO actually had me send an email to all our design staff here at PostcardMania. We’ve got a handful of designers that responded, saying they’re interested in participating. I know there’s some people on here that disagree and feel it’s unethical spec work, but no one is making our designers participate, they volunteered on their own. They’re designing on their own time and if one of our designers ends up winning, they get the full prize and recognition, not tying anything to our company.

I think it’s great PR for whoever’s logo is chosen. Perhaps you can get the community more invloved in the decision making process… narrow it down to 5-10 finalists and run a voting strategy? Maybe even have smaller prizes for 2nd and 3rd place? Just some ideas.

I think it makes sense to change the name to New Media Expo, even though I no longer consider the kind of things we all do to be “new media”, we are instead “THE Media”. I look forward to seeing how the change in name changes the playing field for the industry and the future of the expo. Good luck, we’ll be rooting for you.

@piercingmetal We are the media, indeed! You’re so right! And as for playing field, I’m sure the change will allow everyone who creates content to feel as though they belong. Blogging is but one vertical and there are so many people creating such amazing content online. New Media Expo is so much more inclusive of our community and mission. Hope to see you in Vegas for #NMX!

According to the AIGA’s Design Business and Ethics manual for designers and those that purchase design, it is unethical to design “On Spec” and not be compensated. Interesting, how I see this happening more and more these days. Leveraging social network for cheap work. I’m not expressing a personal opinion, just raising this issue for consideration.

@technosailor So your comment is sorry not to be combative but let me be a jerk?

No one is forced to do anything Aaron. The idea was to let the community be involved in the process vs. us paying someone to design a logo or having Dave do it himself and then telling people here it is.

People have been pretty positive about the process. Except you of course.

“In common usage, theft is the taking of another person’s property without that person’s permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.[1][2] The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud.[1][2] In some jurisdictions, theft is considered to be synonymous with larceny;[2] in others, theft has replaced larceny. Someone who carries out an act of or makes a career of theft is known as a thief. The act of theft is known by terms such as stealing, thieving, and filching.[2]”

We aren’t taking anything by force. We are up front about the process and the compensation. People are free to choose to participate or not. It is no different than any other contest. It doesn’t come close to any definition of theft. Go troll someone else.

@blogworld had to laugh at this response. nobody is talking about theft. we are talking about spec work.

“Spec work is defined as producing a piece for a potential client with no guarantee that your work will be chosen and/or paid for.”

spec work is bad for designers – regardless of if some people opt to participate or not. it’s also bad for the industry. it’s just a bad practice overall and one that high-profile folks, such as yourselves, shouldn’t be promoting. that’s all anyone’s upset about. if more people aren’t speaking out it’s because it’s not really worth anyone’s time to pay attention to a contest like this.

@jonbukiewicz @blogworld The entire industry does spec work, all day long. Agencies, design firms, you name it, all they do is spec work. It’s called “proposals”. Same exact thing. Let me do a ton of work for you in “hopes” that you’ll choose me for your project. So let’s not pretend they’re not already doing it and try to cause a big stink over a logo.What Blogworld is doing is just good business. It’s good promotion for their brand, with a really nice prize.

You can complain about the state of the industry all you want, but the truth is that this is where we are. It’s a buyers market now. Unlike in the past when buyers didn’t have as many choices, now they do. Case in point, my former agency used to charge $40k for a design (1999) that you can now buy on template monster for $60 bucks. Am I complaining? No, I just saw the light and decided to make adjustments, and get out of that business.

Don’t like spec work? Stop doing it. But don’t crap on other people who are using the advantages of it to help their business.

@JimKukral “The entire industry does spec work…” I don’t think so. And, to you, that justifies bad ethics? For a commercial business to ask for spec work is unethical. period. Sure, it happens, but that doesn’t make it right. No one is twisting anyone’s arm to do this contest, as you so eloquently stated, but by defending bad business practice publicly…really? I hope you re-think and change your mind.

@blogworld Wow. Your defense of unethical practice is beguiling. The AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) publishes a business design and ethics guide that clearly states that design on spec is wrong and unethical. How you “spin” this as not stealing is dumbfounding.

If you wanted to involve the community, ask us to submit samples from our portfolio, then choose a designer that you like best and work directly with him/her. That’s a good use of crowd sourcing.

Your response to @technosailor, defends a stance that is unethical. Period. You may be digging a hole that will be hard to get out of now!

@technosailor $5K and a lifetime pass for one. What about all the others that design FOR FREE? This is spec work and goes against the AIGA’s design Business and Ethics guidelines. It minimizes the value of design, and that’s a shame. In effect, you will degrade this organizations values and reputation in the eyes of the design community and perhaps more as the social networks latch on to what you are doing.

This is out of the AIGA (American Institute for Graphic Arts) ethics manual:”A professional designer does not undertake speculative work or proposals (spec work) in which a client requests work without providing compensation and without developing a professional relationship that permits the designer sufficent access to the client to provide a responsible recommendation.”

@dbng Design for spec is unethical, as is this contest. It would be different if you asked designers for resumés or samples, then picked a winner that would work with you, and be fairly compensated. Your contest is bad for the design community, and will hurt your organizations reputation, as the twitter-sphere and blog-sphere gets wind of this. Sorry to be so blunt, but it’s so wrong to ask for spec work and dangle a carrot that you might get paid. Shame on you!

Not very professional guys. Blogworld is missing the core point. Competitions like this will eventually hurt your brand and reputation. This is not a personal attack – it is a simple misunderstanding of the proper process to develop a brand. A contest does not take into account so many things. It’s unfortunate that ignorance is what is playing out here. Again, nothing personal, but Blogworld needs to partner with a proper company to do it right for many, many reasons.

I’m going to share my perspective here, because this was my idea. Pardon the length of this note in advance. I’ve been working on brevity, and was pretty proud of my short, punchy messages…but you just made me fall off the wagon, bigtime. 🙂

First, a little background on me. In a previous life, I was professionally involved in commercial design, photography, copywriting, brand development, advertising, and I’ve worked with small companies up to some of the largest brands. I’ve been on the creative side, and client side, and have worked with creative pros from small firms and large agencies. I’ve had immersive firsthand knowledge, understanding and work time in the design profession.

So, not only do I respect your opinions, but I also applaud the fact that you’re standing up for professional designers and don’t want to see anyone taken advantage of. I’m of that same mind.

When I see inexpensive or “do me a favor” design projects pop up in online communities, or low-dollar design projects in crowdsourced sites, I cringe. It brings the perceived value of skilled professionals down, and commoditizes true talent which is deserving of solid compensation.

A quick aside regarding spec work in design and advertising. Speaking from my own experiences, new accounts came from either being hired outright or from competing with other firms for the account on spec. In order to win an account in some cases, we had to demonstrate our expertise and understanding of the subject matter with a custom example. Ethics weren’t called into question. That said, I think the AIGA guidelines are good, and they discourage spec work from becoming the norm.

This isn’t a new account for a designer or agency working on spec, this is a creative contest. Similar to others before it in photography, writing and illustration held for decades.

Here’s what lead to this idea and the upcoming contest, and the reasons why I think this will be beneficial to designers who participate:

The idea came from the fact that I’m a huge fan of the current crop of talent competitions (American Idol, AGT, ABDC, etc) wherein talented people take some time out from their regular lives and professional pursuits to compete in a contest. This is something I’ve done myself in lesser instances (art contests, photography contests, writing contests–and some crazy physical competitions but that’s another story for another day). I just flat out enjoy competitions; they’re a fun way to measure yourself, possibly gain recognition, and in rare cases, garner a significant prize. In the case of a high-level competition like American Idol, professional singers compete alongside aspiring up-and-comers for an opportunity to get widespread exposure and possibly win a prize of substantial value, plus greater career opportunities. I like the fact that the playing field is leveled. No matter if you come from humble self-taught origins or top-notch training, the community helps decide who’s demonstrated great talent, the mentors give guidance, and in the end, talent rules.

Fun competition, measuring against others, community involvement, high-profile exposure, rewards, career growth. You can begin to see why I like this talent contest format. Beneficial things are achievable for those who endeavor to take a break from their normal routines and enter. Not everyone gets to the later rounds where exposure is widespread and benefits are significant, but that’s the nature of a competition.

The spirit of what I want to do with this logo design contest is akin to the American Idol example above, with beneficial things for talented people who embrace the opportunity.

Designs will be seen publicly, and exposure for creative talent will be better than a typical design project. This won’t be a private engagement, where nobody knows whose hand created the artwork. (I’ve designed many logos in the past, and the only people who really knew where a design came from were me and the client.) Nor will this be a hidden, crowdsourced project, which nobody knows about. This will be public, out in the open, a creative showcase for all designers to get visibility. The eventual winner will be invited up on-stage during a live-streamed Keynote, for special recognition at the big event we’ve worked night-and-day for years to build, focused on the mission of helping content creators succeed in our industry. A pretty cool thing to happen and a nice bragging right, in this designer’s estimation.

Whomever wins will be rewarded with a trip including airfare, hotel, and a lifetime pass combining thousands of dollars in value. And, to combat the low-dollar, de-valued logo design projects that seem to pop up all too often, I wanted the compensation to be appropriate for a professional. Initially, when I shared the idea with Rick, I suggested a cash reward of $2500. He said, “no, let’s make it $5000”. I’d never charged more than $2500 for a logo design in my design history, so five grand sounded exciting to me. And, to tell you the truth, had we hired someone to design the logo, I’d not have budgeted that much, we’re still a pretty small company. This is us pulling out all the stops, trying to do something which provides a spotlight on talented, creative people, celebrate the new show brand publicly, and have a fun competition.

An event logo design contest like this hasn’t been done before to my knowledge, so this is unconventional, an experiment. And we’re risking our new brand, kind of a big deal. But we’re willing to take the risk. This is a company where we’re literally working on open source platforms, built by our community. In some measure, this logo is our open source project.

You may not like my idea. You may disagree with creative contests in general, thinking they’re exploiting talent for publicity, with people performing or striving for a prize on spec with no guarantee of a reward. You may think American Idol is bad or evil in some way, because talented contestants (some actually true professionals) work hard for free and the publicity makes Ryan Seacrest’s stock rise. You may think we should keep our logo design private and anonymous, hiring an individual according to guidelines in an industry book. And you may think my excitement over contests and what we’re doing with our own is misguided, or even idiotic. I think this is going to be a good thing, and fun. I’ve entered creative contests in the past and have enjoyed it. Those who didn’t share my enthusiasm didn’t enter.

I can’t argue with you Aaron, or Jon, or iboden. Who am I to say I’m right and you’re wrong? I respect and share your support of designers wholeheartedly. I just hope you can appreciate the value I hold for creative people, our community, and the spirit in which this contest idea was born.

As a designer for 15 years, I have always viewed spec work as negative. Yes, I have done a lot of spec work in the past and I always made my view known that I didn’t agree with it. As @dave_blogworld stated, AIGA guidelines are good. But maybe a little “Old School”.

The truth is that business is competitive. More specifically, design is competitive. I don’t think you can say all “spec” work is bad and that it devalues what we do as designers. I think logo sites that sell logos for $99 do more to devalue design than a contest that is awarding $5000+ to the winner. We live in a world where everyone thinks they are a designer. At least in this case, the wannabe’s will be weeded out in the voting process.

I say kudos to you blogworld (NMX). Thanks for not just giving away 1 free trip to the event. That would have been the cheap way out. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a healthy competition. Especially one that actual rewards and recognizes not only the winner, but the other competitors that get their work recognized online as well.

@iboden @dave_blogworld i think regardless of any back-and-forth that will be had in this forum, it seems that blogworld has stated their case and they are going to stick to it. they don’t want to lose face on this, even if logic suggests that it’s not the best option. anyone can ultimately justify doing anything they’d like. we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

simply put, as i said before, i’m sure you will have interested participants, but it doesn’t make it right in my eyes, nor in the eyes of most designers that will come across this, nor in the eyes of the AIGA (backwards order of importance there of course). i’ve said what i need to on this, and don’t wish to run circles anymore. good luck to those that participate, and empathy to the valuable time spent for those that aren’t chosen.

Contests of this sort fail to understand the nature of design, which is a professional engagement between a trained designer and a client to address a communication need of the client. With little more than a request to create a logo, the result is a call to create original clip art that is then submitted to a popularity contest.

AIGA, the professional association for design, reflects its 22,000 members interests (and those of designers worldwide, who share this ethos) in making clear that a spec contest fails to respect the client’s needs as well as demonstrating both a misunderstanding and lack of respect for the nature of professional design.

Even more importantly, it denies the client the value of a designer’s contribution, which is to work with a client to develop solutions based on working through the client’s business plans, goals and strategy. It asks creative professionals to donate thousands of hours of time, without offering criteria for either relevance or selection.

We understand that there will be plenty of submissions for a contest; we know that superficially it appears to be a means of encouraging stakeholder participation; we know that there will be a “design” that will emerge from the process. This doesn’t make it a practice that demonstrates integrity and respect for the creative process on the part of Blogworld and NMX, nor that it is a process that will yield the most effective design.

This contest is similar to a request: “Make me a blog,” without discussing audience, purpose, intent. And if those who want to comment do so, we will let you know if you will be rewarded for your effort.

The appropriate way to conduct an open solicitation would be to invite examples of previous work; a brief description of how a designer would approach this particular project; a selection of a single firm or individual, possibly involving members of NMX’s customer base; and then working with that designer to develop a solution that meets all of NMX’s identity, branding and communication needs.

@RicGrefe Hi Ric, there will be details for criteria provided once this design contest goes live, including what you noted above–a description of how a designer would approach this project (plus specific technical details). I will give feedback to a group of finalists, the community will be involved in a voting process. This is a design competition open to the community, this is not a client/agency engagement. (Please see my long note below referencing this if you haven’t yet, thank you.) This gives a chance for even a single individual to compete on a level playing field with big firms. Just like any open competition, it’s unconventional.Having worked as a designer, illustrator and photographer, and also having entered creative competitions in all of those creative segments myself, I can tell you that I personally had no expectation that the contest was traditional in any way. For example, in one poster design contest, an environmental organization shared a theme and purpose to their upcoming campaign (much like we will do in this logo design contest), and designers from the community entered their visual interpretation in a poster design. The finalists were part of a public display, and the winner received special recognition, that was all. I enjoyed the competition, and didn’t look at it as a client engagement, part of my book of business, or anything of the like. Similarly, I’ve entered writing and photography competitions, and likewise, I didn’t perceive this to be the producer of the contest hiring me or a firm to become their vendor. They never presented it as such, and I’ve seen these creative contests for most of my life, so I had no confusion as to the nature of the purpose or format. When a camera company or photographic property presents a photography contest, calling for photos with a specific set of criteria, photographers of all levels enter. When an illustration or design contest calls for creative expressions with specific criteria, illustrators and designers enter. These are unconventional instances, they’re not typical working relationships comparable to day-to-day pursuits. These are contests. Most that I’ve seen offer recognition or public display for winners, and in some cases, a prize is available to the chosen finalist. In this case, we’re formatting the contest so all entrants get public exposure, not just the final few. And the winner isn’t just doing this for bragging rights, he or she will be awarded a significant prize.Are you against creative contests where designers, photographers, illustrators (or in the case of talent contests, singers and other performers) show their skills in a customized presentation according to the contest criteria? Do you think the competitors are wrong for entering these unconventional competitions and should stick to only conventional professional engagements? No matter what your answer, I respect your preference and opinion. There is no single answer for everyone.I personally enjoy creative and talent competitions. They’re a fun break from conventional professional engagements and day-to-day work, and some are rewarding with valuable exposure and other benefits. You may think I, and the other entrants, are wasting our time. That’s all a matter of perspective. I’ve had some extraordinary experiences thru competition, and have met peers and made new friends in the process. Never once have I looked at the competitions as questions of integrity or even comparing them to conventional work engagements. That was not their intention, nor my expectation. I did it to have fun, and fun it was.

@RicGrefe Hi Ric, there will be details for criteria provided once this design contest goes live, including what you noted above–a description of how a designer would approach this project (plus specific technical details). I will give feedback to a group of finalists, the community will be involved in a voting process. This is a design competition open to the community, this is not a client/agency engagement. (Please see my long note below referencing this if you haven’t yet, thank you.) This gives a chance for even a single individual to compete on a level playing field with big firms. Just like any open competition, it’s unconventional.Having worked as a designer, illustrator and photographer, and also having entered creative competitions in all of those creative segments myself, I can tell you that I personally had no expectation that the contest was traditional in any way. For example, in one poster design contest, an environmental organization shared a theme and purpose to their upcoming campaign (much like we will do in this logo design contest), and designers from the community entered their visual interpretation in a poster design. The finalists were part of a public display, and the winner received special recognition, that was all. I enjoyed the competition, and didn’t look at it as a client engagement, part of my book of business, or anything of the like. Similarly, I’ve entered writing and photography competitions, and likewise, I didn’t perceive this to be the producer of the contest hiring me or a firm to become their vendor. They never presented it as such, and I’ve seen these creative contests for most of my life, so I had no confusion as to the nature of the purpose or format. When a camera company or photographic property presents a photography contest, calling for photos with a specific set of criteria, photographers of all levels enter. When an illustration or design contest calls for creative expressions with specific criteria, illustrators and designers enter. These are unconventional instances, they’re not typical working relationships comparable to day-to-day pursuits. These are contests. Most that I’ve seen offer recognition or public display for winners, and in some cases, a prize is available to the chosen finalist. In this case, we’re formatting the contest so all entrants get public exposure, not just the final few. And the winner isn’t just doing this for bragging rights, he or she will be awarded a significant prize.Are you against creative contests where designers, photographers, illustrators (or in the case of talent contests, singers and other performers) show their skills in a customized presentation according to the contest criteria? Do you think the competitors are wrong for entering these unconventional competitions and should stick to only conventional professional engagements? No matter what your answer, I respect your preference and opinion. There is no single answer for everyone.I personally enjoy creative and talent competitions. They’re a fun break from conventional professional engagements and day-to-day work, and some are rewarding with valuable exposure and other benefits. You may think I, and the other entrants, are wasting our time. That’s all a matter of perspective. I’ve had some extraordinary experiences thru competition, and have met peers and made new friends in the process. Never once have I looked at the competitions as questions of integrity or even comparing them to conventional work engagements. That was not their intention, nor my expectation. I did it to have fun, and fun it was.

@RicGrefe Hi Ric, there will be details for criteria provided once this design contest goes live, including what you noted above–a description of how a designer would approach this project (plus specific technical details). I will give feedback to a group of finalists, the community will be involved in a voting process.

This is a design competition open to the community, this is not a client/agency engagement. (Please see my long note below referencing this if you haven’t yet, thank you.) This gives a chance for even a single individual to compete on a level playing field with big firms. Just like any open competition, it’s unconventional.

Having worked as a designer, illustrator and photographer, and also having entered creative competitions in all of those creative segments myself, I can tell you that I personally had no expectation that the contest was traditional in any way. For example, in one poster design contest, an environmental organization shared a theme and purpose to their upcoming campaign (much like we will do in this logo design contest), and designers from the community entered their visual interpretation in a poster design. The finalists were part of a public display, and the winner received special recognition, that was all. I enjoyed the competition, and didn’t look at it as a client engagement, part of my book of business, or anything of the like. Similarly, I’ve entered writing and photography competitions, and likewise, I didn’t perceive this to be the producer of the contest hiring me or a firm to become their vendor. They never presented it as such, and I’ve seen these creative contests for most of my life, so I had no confusion as to the nature of the purpose or format.

When a camera company or photographic property presents a photography contest, calling for photos with a specific set of criteria, photographers of all levels enter. When an illustration or design contest calls for creative expressions with specific criteria, illustrators and designers enter. These are unconventional instances, they’re not typical working relationships comparable to day-to-day pursuits. These are contests. Most that I’ve seen offer recognition or public display for winners, and in some cases, a prize is available to the chosen finalist. In this case, we’re formatting the contest so all entrants get public exposure, not just the final few. And the winner isn’t just doing this for bragging rights, he or she will be awarded a significant prize.

Are you against creative contests where designers, photographers, illustrators (or in the case of talent contests, singers and other performers) show their skills in a customized presentation according to the contest criteria? Do you think the competitors are wrong for entering these unconventional competitions and should stick to only conventional professional engagements? No matter what your answer, I respect your preference and opinion. There is no single answer for everyone.

I personally enjoy creative and talent competitions. They’re a fun break from conventional professional engagements and day-to-day work, and some are rewarding with valuable exposure and other benefits. You may think I, and the other entrants, are wasting our time. That’s all a matter of perspective. I’ve had some extraordinary experiences thru competition, and have met peers and made new friends in the process. Never once have I looked at the competitions as questions of integrity or even comparing them to conventional work engagements. That was not their intention, nor my expectation. I did it to have fun, and fun it was.

@@dave_blogworld @RicGrefe Dave, I strongly disagree with your contest and the persistance to defend a terrible idea. I if find shameful.I’m glad Ric has chimed in and spoke so eloquently in defense of ethics.The AIGA is highly regarded.

By thumbing your nose at Ric’s response, and in effect, all designers, will have ugly ramifications for you and this enterprise.

Do you believe the reputation of BlogWorld – MNX, and the tainted results of the contest are worth gambling? That’s rhetorical! You DO support gambling!

@iboden @RicGrefe @dave_blogworld Certainly not thumbing nose at Ric’s POV. Emailing Ric directly to discuss. I definitely appreciate the concerns, and would like to invite Ric’s input on the manner in which design contests are formatted. This is meant to celebrate design and give exposure to many designers.

@@dave_blogworld @RicGrefe Glad to know you are open to discussing. I understand the intent, it’s just misguided. If you can figure out a way to remove the “on spec” aspect of the contest, you’ll be ok. Otherwise, the ill will this is generating could backfire. Do your best to do the right thing. 22,000+ ticked-off designers, is significant.

@iboden @RicGrefe @dave_blogworld Absolutely open to discussing. This is supposed to be a beneficial and enjoyable thing for all involved. As a designer, and someone who comes from an artist Dad, this is something I take to heart.

@iboden @RicGrefe Just had a nice conversation with Ric at AIGA (thanks Ric), and will either create criteria which is acceptable or not hold the competition. It will take some time to determine resolution, working on it, will report back.

Love the name and love the Vegas location even more! It’s hard to give it my full attn when it’s held in my hometown of L.A. – too many work distractions. I wish I knew design because a lifetime pass sounds so good! You’re my favorite conference! Hoping to be a speaker at NMX someday soon.